On December 8, 1908, Joseph Fourestier Simpson’s patent for Skee-Ball was finally published, and his patent protection began. After arguing for months with the US Patent office over the broad claims he wanted protection for, he finally acquiesced, and accepted that he was only going to get two of the claims through. The first was for the ski-jump that launched the ball into the air, and the second was for the lever that actuated the scoring device. But these were enough to get the ball rolling.
He gave one half interest in the patent to William Nice Jr. a wealthy retired lumberman in exchange for his financial backing. Nice and John W. Harper started the Skee-Ball Alley Company in Philadelphia to build and market the game.
Simpson had no idea what the game of Skee-Ball was really going to cost him.
About the author:
Thaddeus Cooper is the co-author of Seeking Redemption: The Real Story of the Beautiful Game of Skee-Ball, a deep dive into the history of the game. You can find more information about Thaddeus, and his co-author, and their book, at: http://www.nomoreboxes.com/.
Pingback: SB History | What Year Did Skee-Ball Come To Your State? | Thaddeus Cooper
Pingback: Skee-Ball History Project • 10 Year Anniversary | Thaddeus Cooper